Remotely controllable automatic boat bailer

ABSTRACT

This disclosure relates to a boat bailer adapted to be remotely controlled through an external handle so that the bailer can be positioned beneath the back seat of a boat or otherwise out of view. The bailer has a housing fixed to a drain pipe extending through the boat wall. A rotatable valve element is positioned within a vertical bore in the housing. A drain conduit, preferably with a check valve, extends through the valve member and communicates with the drain pipe through a hole in the housing. Communication between the drain pipe and the drain conduit is blocked by rotating the valve member with respect to the housing. Water drains through the drain conduit and the drain pipe from the interior of the boat when communication is established between the drain pipe and the drain conduit as the boat moves through the water.

United States Patent 72] Inventor John L. DePersia 17876 Brucker Road, Grand Haven, Mich. 49417 [21] App], No. 763,845 [22] Filed Sept. 30, 1968 [45] Patented Feb. 23, 1971 [54] REMOTELY CONTROLLABLE AUTOMATIC BOAT BAILER 2 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S.Cl 114/185, 1 14/197 [51] Int. Cl. B63b 13/00 [50] Field ofSearch 114/183, t 184, 185, 197

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 987,532 3/1911 Baab et a1. 114/185 3,394,671 7/1968 Mayer 114/183 Primary Examiner-Andrew H. Farrell Attorney-John E. McGarry ABSTRACT: This disclosure relates to a boat bailer adapted to be remotely controlled through an external handle so that the bailer can be positioned beneath the back seat of a boat or otherwise out of view. The bailer has a housing fixed to a drain pipe extending through the boat wall. A rotatable valve element is positioned within a vertical bore in the housing. A drain conduit, preferably with a check valve, extends through the valve member and communicates with the drain pipe through a hole in the housing. Communication between the drain pipe and the drain conduit is blocked by rotating the valve member with respect to the housing. Water drains through the drain conduit and the drain pipe from the interior of the boat when communication is established between the drain pipe and the drain conduit as the boat moves through the water.

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INVENTOR JOHN L. De PERSIA ATTORNEY PATENTEDFEB23|97| 3565031 SHEET 2 0F 2 lllu I um INVENTOR JOHN L. De PERSIA ATTORNEY REMOTELY CONTROLLABLE AUTOMATIC BOAT BAILER This invention relates to boat'bailers which can be remotely controlled In one of its aspects it relates to a boat bailer having a rotatable valve member externally controllable to establish or close off communication between the interior and the exterior of the boat.

DePersia, U.S. Pat. No. 2,772,648 discloses and claims an automatic boat bailer positioned on the bottom of a boat for withdrawing water from the boat bilge by means of suction created as the boat moves through the water. The bailer has a housing with an upstanding pipe section, a rounded nose and a rear face sloping upwardly and outwardly from the bottom to the top. The housing has a check valve to permit water to pass down the pipe and out through the rear face as the boat moves forwardly through the water. A plug in the pipe section is movable into and out of the pipe to close off inlet ports in the pipe when the boat is moored.

It is desirable to have a bailer in an out-of-the-way place such as beneath the back seat of the boat. In check valve bailers, it is also desirable to be able to close 'off communication through the bailer between the inside and outside of the boat while the boat is moored so that water does not leak into the boat through the check valve.

' By various aspects of this invention, one or-more of thefollowing, or other, objects can be obtained. I

It is an object of this invention to provide a boat bailer adapted to be positioned in an out-of-the-way place in a boat, and which can be closed off to prevent water from seeping into the boat when the boat is moored.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a boat bailer which can be remotely operated to establish communication .and to block off communication between the interior and the exterior of the boat.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a boat bailer adapted to be positioned beneath the rear seat of a boat and which bailer can be remotely controlled to prevent water from seeping into the boat through the bailer.

Other aspects, objects, and the severaladvantages of this in- 20 of the drain tube 18. The boat is sealed at the drain tube on the outside by an O-ring seal 22fixed between the back wall 14 of the boat and the threaded cap 21, and, on the inside, by a ring seal 26. The main housing has a lateral opening at the drain tube 18 and a tapered, vertical bore for holding a rotatable valve member 32.

A rotatable valve member 32 is hollow having a threaded bottom bore 38 and interconnected sidewall apertures 34 and 36. A downwardly extending lip 33 and an upwardly extending lip 35 separate the sidewall apertures 34 and 36 and retain a ballcheck valve 24 within the rotatable valve member. A hex nut member 37 is a machined portion of the top of the rotatable valve member 32.

The sidewalls of the rotatable valve member 32 slope downwardly and inwardly, conforming to the sides of the tapered vertical bore 30 in the main housing 12. A flanged end 52 extends outwardly at the bottom of the main housing 12 to hold the rotatable valve member 32 within the main housing 12. I

A ball check valve 24 is positioned within the rotatable valve member 32 and seats against an annular valve seat 40. A retainer ring 42 threadably engages the threaded bottom bore 38 and holds the valve seat 40 against an annular flange 54 of the rotatable valve member 32. Alternately, the retainer ring 42 can be a snap ring which is held in snap-fit engagement with the bore 38.

vention are apparent to one skilled in the art from a study of this disclosure, the drawings, and the appended claims.

According to the invention, there is provided a bailer for a boat. The bailer has a housing with a central bore and anoutlet adapted to communicate with a submerged drain pipe in a back wall of a boat. The outlet communicates with the central bore. A valve member is rotatable between first and second positions within said bore. A drain conduit is provided within the valve member, the drain conduit having one end in communication with the outlet when the valve member is in the first rotative position within the housing. Communication between the one end of the drain conduit and the outlet is blocked when the valve member is in the second rotative position within the housing. Another end of the drain conduit communicates with a bottom portion of the bailer, at least when the valve member is in the first rotative position within the housing. Check valve means are provided within the drain conduit and a handle means is fixed onto the valve member externally of the housing to facilitate movement of the valve member within the housing from the first and second position.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view through the novel boat bailer shown installed in the back of a boat;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view ofthe bailer shown in FIG. '1;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing the bailer in the process of bailing water from the interior of the boat; and

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIGS. 1 and 3 with the boat bailing valve closed.

Referring now to the drawings, a remote control boat bailer is shown. The bailer is fixed in the back wall 14 ofa boat hull and is positioned in the inside 16 of a boat. The bailer has a main housing I2 fixed to a longitudinal drain tube 18 having a threaded end 20. A threaded cap is fixed on the threaded end A handle 28 having a hex wrench 44 at one end is employed to impart rotation to the rotatable ;valve member 32 as desired. The hex wrench 44 is held in the hex nut member 37 by a washer plate 46 and a-machine screw 48. A tapped hole 50 in the hex nut'37 is provided to engage the machine screw In operation, when the boat is standing, the rotatable valve 32 will be in the position shown in FIG. 1. In this position, either aperture 34 or 36 will communicate with the drain tube 18. The ball check. valve 24 will be seated in the position shown in FIG. 1 so that the water cannot enter the interior 16 of the boat.

As the boat starts to more forwardly in the water, the water in the drain tube 18 will be drawn out and the ball check valve '24 will rise within the rotatable valve member 32 to permit water within the interior of the boat to flow through the bottom bore 38 of the rotatable valve member 32 and outthrough the drain tube'18. This condition is illustrated in FIG. 3.

When the boat is to be moored for a given length of time, it is desirable to close the valve so that there will not be constant pressure against the ball check valve 24 and leakage around the ball valve. This can be easily done by turning handle 28 until the solid portion of the rotatable valve member 32 is in front of the drain tube 18. This position is illustrated in FIG. 4. In this moored position, the drain tube 18 will not be in communication with the interior of the rotatable valve member 32.

This simple construction allows the valve to be remotely controlled. The valve can be positioned under a seat and out of view of the occupants of the boatfFor example, a control wire can be fixed directly to the handle28 to permit the valve to be operated from the driver's seat of the boat. Alternately, other means for moving the handle 28 can be devised within the skill of the art. The handle 28 can be positioned on either side of the bailer within the boat so that the bailer can be controlled from either side ofthe boat. The valve can be closed by simply rotating the handle one quarter turn toward either side of the boat. The hexagonalnature of member 37 on rotatable valve member 32 permits the valve to be operated from different angles by the handle 28 relative to the back wall or transom of the boat.

Reasonable variation and modification are possible within the scope of the foregoing disclosure, the drawings, and the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Iclaim:

l. A bailer fixed to a back'wall ofa boat, said bailer comprismg:

a pipe extending through said back wall;

a housing fixed to said pipe within said boat, said housing having a central bore in communication with said pipe;

a valve member in said central bore, said valve member being rotatable about a vertical axis substantially perpendicular to said pipe between first and second positions within said housing;

a drain conduit extending through said valve member, said drain conduit including an opening at the bottom of said valve member and an opening at one side of said valve member, said drain conduit establishing communication between the bottom of said boat and said pipe to drain water from said bottom of said boat when said valve member is in said first position;

communication between said bottom of said boat and said pipe being blocked when said valve member is in said second position;

means fixed to said valve member external of said housing to facilitate rotation of said valve member within said housing;

a ball check valve within said drain conduit;

a cavity above said side opening in said valve member for retaining said ball check valve when water is draining out of said drain conduit;

a seat for said ball check valve affixed to a bottom portion of said valve member; and

means at said side opening to retain said valve member within said drain conduit when water is being drained out through said drain conduit.

2. In a bailer for a boat, said bailer comprising:

a housing having a central bore;

an outlet in said housing adapted to communicate with a submerged drain pipe in a wall of a boat, said outlet communicating with said central bore;

means for fixing said housing to a boat wall;

a valve member rotatable between first and second positions within said bore about a vertical axis substantially perpendicular to said outlet;

a drain conduit within said valve member, said drain conduit having one end in communication with said outlet through a first opening in the side of said valve member when said valve member is in said first rotative position within said housing, and communication between said one end of said drain conduit and said outlet being blocked when said valve member is in said second position;

another end of said drain conduit having a second opening communicating with a bottom portion of said bailer, at least when said valve member is in first position;

check valve means within said drain conduit;

handle means on said valve member external of said housing to facilitate movement of said valve member within said housing between said first and second positions;

a cavity above said first opening in said valve member for retention of said valve means above said first opening when fluid is flowing through said drain conduit;

a valve seat at said second opening in said valve member;

and

means at said first opening to retain said check valve means within said drain conduit when water is being drained out through said outlet. 

1. A bailer fixed to a back wall of a boat, said bailer comprising: a pipe extending through said back wall; a housing fixed to said pipe within said boat, said housing having a central bore in communication with said pipe; a valve member in said central bore, said valve member being rotatable about a vertical axis substantially perpendicular to said pipe between first and second positions within said housing; a drain conduit extending through said valve member, said drain conduit including an opening at the bottom of said valve member and an opening at one side of said valve member, said drain conduit establishing communication between the bottom of said boat and said pipe to drain water from said bottom of said boat when said valve member is in said first position; communication between said bottom of said boat and said pipe being blocked when said valve member is in said second position; means fixed to said valve member external of said housing to facilitate rotation of said valve member within said housing; a ball check valve within said drain conduit; a cavity above said side opening in said valve member for retaining said ball check valve when water is draining out of said drain conduit; a seat for said ball check valve affixed to a bottom portion of said valve member; and means at said side opening to retain said valve member within said drain conduit when water is being drained out through said drain conduit.
 2. In a bailer for a boat, said bailer comprising: a housing having a central bore; an outlet in said housing adapted to communicate with a submerged drain pipe in a wall of a boat, said outlet communicating with said central bore; means for fixing said housing to a boat wall; a valve member rotatable between first and second positions within said bore about a vertical axis substantially perpendicular to said outlet; a drain conduit within said valve member, said drain conduit having one end in communication with said outlet through a first opening in the side of said valve member when said valve member is in said first rotative position within said housing, and communication between said one end of said drain conduit and said outlet being blocked when said valve member is in said second position; another end of said drain conduit having a second opening communicating with a bottom portion of said bailer, at least when said valve member is in first position; check valve means within said drain conduit; handle means on said valve member external of said housing to facilitate movement of said valve member within said housing between said first and second positions; a cavity above said first opening in said valve member for retention of said valve means above said first opening when fluid is flowing through said drain conduit; a valve seat at said second opening in said valve member; and means at said first opening to retain said check valve means within said drain conduit when water is being drained out through said outlet. 